Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-07-29
ISLAND AND ARSENAL.
An Iowa Journalist speaks of its En-.
eacy in Case of War---A Good Loc2-
tion for National Armory.

An Iowa Journalist speaks of its I'm.
eaey in Case Of War---A Good Loea-
tion for a National Armory.
Col. ]. 81. Keatly, of the Council
Bluffs G505e, has just returned home after
a visit TO this vicinity. While fere ne
spent several hours upon the Island, and
under the head Preparing for War
writes his paper. Thousands of people
in Iowa are barely aware of the fact that
the United States has provided one of the
largest storages of arms and war ma
terial in the world, on the confines of the
state. For all practical purposes il
might be said 10 be within the state. for
il is situated on an island in the Missis-
sippi river between the Iowa and the
Illinois shores. Thousands cross the
river IN the cars between the cities of Dav>
export, Rock Island, and Moline. glance
at the enormous, solid stone structure
that looms up on Rock Island in the
center OF the river, and barely know that
the government of the United States,
during the civil war, established an
arsenal of arms there to replace some OF
those arsenals captured in the early
period Of the war, by the insurgents in
the southern states.
II was wise foresight which dedicated
this island, one of the most beautiful
spots on earth, as military reservation,
to be utilized and beautlfied fol- national
purposes. II has been developed in the
progress of recent naval architecture and
structure that if any danger is 20 be ap.
pretended by US, in any contest with any
foreign power, it will come. not in the
shape OIL large invading armies but 10
naval assaults upon our most prominent
seaboard cities on the Atlantic and the
Pacific, and by predatory excursions By
moderately sized military bodies, al q
safe distance from naval support Thl,
is the conclusion of our best naval anC
military authorities.
For that reason, the safest deposit fOl
our ordnance stores and such like fol
waf purposes it is at such point as Rocl
Island, from which score of railroad
radiate in all directions, making the sup
ply to troops anywhere tacile and Gun
venient.
Looking at the island from distance
one can form no conception of the prom
inent part it would play in case of an!
outbreak of war. Beside being the loca
ton for the manufacture and repair o
certain classes of ordnance stores, it i
The storeh0use of sufficient quantity o
military equipment to arm very larg
army in the space of a few days. w
lost Harper's Ferry and all its vast ma
chinery in April, 1861, by reason of it
situation on the borders of the insurrec
tionary state of Virginia, into who's
hands its fell; that is, ''Stonewall Jack
son and Joseph E. Johnston, and at tina
time doubtful and hesitating Maryland
Springfield Mass, though situated o.
one of the most beautiful of New Eng
land rivers, is still near enough to the At
lantic coast to be inviting and tempting t.
an enterprising enemy. such as Benedic
Arnold once was, after his treachery ant
the acceptance of a bngadier's commits
sion in the British army, and who raw
aged Virginia as farmland as the falls 0
the James at Richmond AMI as far soutl
as Suffolk Rock Island is PRACTICAL
inaccessible in that respect, except, per
haps, IN case Of some internal commo
tioD. The jutling shores of the island ar
picturesque rocks, and was a spot ono
dear TO the hearts of Black Hawk an,
KeoLuk and the government havin
spent vast sums In Improvements ha
made it an elysium in the midst of tn
great river. 1t deserves fostering on &C
count of its natural beauty and its publ
importance"